learning to create, one craft at a time

This post was originally at SNAP! But I wanted to let you all know what it is I keep in my bag:

This is my totally awesome vintage purse. It was given to me by a dear friend, who left it on my porch one time filled with all sorts of great little goodies. She said she couldn’t think of anyone who would like it more.

Just check out that label! And here’s the rest of the interior:

Now, I’m not much of a purse person. This is really how I keep my bag at all times. Occasionally it gets filled up with receipts, but as soon as possible I clean it out. My friends have laughed at how I keep my purse organized. Since in March I’m expecting my first little baby, I’ve already decided I will be downsizing to a wallet that I throw into a diaper bag, so I don’t have to carry two bags.

A little more detail about what I keep in there:

1. My lip products. I almost never wear lipstick. It’s either my chapstick, or if I’m feeling fancy, some lip gloss.

2. My medical kit. It consists of an inhaler and a little box filled with allergy medication and Tums. Only the essentials.

3. Candy and gum. Low blood sugar or bad breath? I’m covered.

4. My keys. I have to keep them on a long lanyard, or I will lose them. This has been proven many, many times.

5. My calendar and pen. Recently I’ve experimented with an online calendar app. I keep the paper one around just in case. If it’s not in here, I will not remember to do it.

6. My idea book. You never know when inspiration will strike.

7. My wallets. I keep two. One with cards and one with cash. The cash wallet generally only contains a couple of pennies rolling around in it.

8. Business cards. I collect them and keep them on hand.

I realized I forgot to photograph my phone in there. Usually I always have my phone in my purse. Gotta be sure I can be texting love notes to my husband.

And there you have it. My amazing vintage purse filled with completely boring essentials. Soon it will retire, and I will be toting around a giant diaper bag.

Normally I suppose you wouldn’t hold a baby shower quite so early. (I’m at 26 weeks currently.) But my parents winter in Arizona, and we wanted to be sure and have the shower before they left. They’ll be coming back before the baby is born (hopefully!), but we wanted it earlier rather than later.

So, we held it a couple of Saturdays ago. I think it was quite the success. Or at least I’m hoping so. There is nothing I hate worse than a boring baby shower.

These were little wonton cups filled with a cream cheese and peach-jalapeno jam mix. The original recipe called for mango chutney, but we had this on hand, and it created a really yummy sweet and spicy contrast.

And I really loved this. A friend brought a salmon cheesecake. Who even knew such things existed? But I’m glad they’re in the world.

There were also some yummy Mini Quiches. They had asparagus in them, which was tasty. Not pictured were Mushrooms stuffed with Goat Cheese, the obligatory vegetable tray, deviled eggs (always a hit!), and Grapefruit “Maragaritas.” We also had fruit salad with a dressing made of apple juice, cinnamon, and lemon. It was a nice and light, refreshing dish.My friend had a super cool cake made. Check it out:

It’s a stack of books! Each was a different flavor of cake and filling. Plus, there were all sorts of great details from the books:

I love gift baskets. I love to get them. I love to give them. It just seems like a much more worthwhile gift. Or bigger. Or something like that. I’m not exactly sure why I love them. It’s just one of those things.

One of my favorite things to do is to dream up new ideas for gift baskets. They’re great for getting creative in gift-giving without going crazy on your budget.

Here’s a fun little basket to whip up:

It’s really simple, but great. Create a foot pampering basket. Include one of those foot scrubber dealies and some foot scrub, so the recipient can start getting all refreshed and have smooth toesies. They can finish off with a great smelling foot lotion. (I love foot lotion. It’s usually got mint in it, so it smells good and feels cool on your feet.) You can also put a little matching massager in the basket. Maybe they can get their significant other to give them a really nice foot massage, too.

One thing I really try to do is make everything match in my basket. It ties it all together and gives the gift basket some cohesion. Find a little basket and some filler at the dollar store, and you’re set.

It’s perfect for a last-minute gift, or for the person who’s hard to shop for.

A friend of mine always calls me a crazy hippie. For some reason he equates anything that is an attempt to not be wasteful and to be ecofriendly with not bathing.

I don’t get that.

I wouldn’t classify myself as a “crazy hippie.” (Though to be honest I’m not sure when’s the last time I shaved my legs.) I bathe. I wear polyester sometimes.

But I do try to be ecofriendly to the best of my ability and budget. To me, that means using whole foods and natural products that are free of synthetic dyes, fragrances, and other yucky stuff. It just makes sense to me to do that. Maybe my family’s impact on the environment isn’t huge, but every little bit has to help, right?

My main reason, though, for using all-natural cleaners, soaps, and detergents is my husband’s skin. Maybe he wouldn’t like you to know this, but his skin is super sensitive. Yes, he’s allergic to natural things like grass and salmon and pollen. These make him itchy and stuffed up. Chemical products, though, make it worse. I’ve noticed a huge difference when I switched us to ecofriendly, more natural products for our laundry, cleaning, and personal hygiene.

It’s not always easy, though. Sometimes it seems so much simpler to pick up whatever soap is available at our local store. The Honest Company makes finding and getting ecofriendly products much, much easier.

Their products are designed to be safe and sustainable. I love the bright colors and shapes on their packaging. (I’m a sucker for great packaging.) Check it out:

Look at those beautiful teals, greens, and reds! Look at those flowers! Look at how those labels tell you their honest shamppo & body wash is “pure, plant-based hydrating cleanser.” That’s impressive. With Erik’s sensitive skin, I like free & clear, but the products with scents aren’t overpowering.

There’s a wide variety of products, too. Items like diapers, wipes, sunscreen, dish soap, healing balm, and more. You can bundle your favorite products and save money. And everything is delivered right to your door. How’s that for convenience? I don’t have any excuses for just picking up something easy at the store but that isn’t suitable for the environment or my family. The Honest Company takes care of that for me.

The Honest Company was started by a mom and a dad who, like many modern parents, were increasingly worried about products made with questionable chemical ingredients. But the alternatives they found were often expensive, inaccessible, bland, or ineffective. In response to this clear need for something better, they created The Honest Company to ensure that parents (or anyone for that matter!) could easily find natural and non-toxic eco-friendly products that are beautiful, effective, and affordable. From customized product bundles to diapers and wipes to an ever-expanding line of cleaning and personal care products, you can find everything you need at Honest.com and have it delivered directly to your front door.

Give it a try! Click here to become a member of The Honest Company community and start your free trial today.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Honest Company. The opinions and text are all mine.